We the People
Just prior to the Fourth of July weekend, a colleague and I were discussing the word ‘independence’—what it may have meant to the framers of the Constitution and what it currently means to the two of us. It was an interesting conversation and it generated a couple of insightful musings.
The first of these, was that while the American ideal proclaims independence as our cultural legacy and birthright, is it possible we Americans are becoming more dependent each and every year? Dependent on things like smart phones or busy calendars, prescription drugs or prescribed containers of thinking…liberal or conservative; traditionalist or evolutionary; male or female; young or old.
Our fast-paced world can give rise to a sense of stress, persistent urgency or overwhelm.
Many of us feel we don’t have the time, energy or knowhow to step back and appraise our own situation from a different perspective. The race is on and we’re in it. It can feel like there is little time left over to assess whether or not this is even a race we want to be in.
Over time, the opportunities for ‘independent’ inquiry and personal reflection are getting squeezed out.
The second musing, is that our notion of independence may be more mythical than reality-based. Becoming independent of the ‘redcoats’ and political/religious persecution made great sense, but the idea of a more sweeping independence is misleading. Better perhaps to consider one’s independence of certain types of self-limiting dependence.
In truth, most of us are at our best when we are interdependent or mutually reliant on one another.
We are social beings after all. Goals, accomplishments and achievements may be experienced as an individual event, but if you look closely, you will find a network of support helping to make it happen.
The United States was formed by an interdependent group of independent-thinking individuals. Both qualities were vital to the establishment of this miraculous event. Getting clear about the meaning of both of these words and their interconnectivity is important. So important, in fact, that the American Constitution begins with three implicit words—we the people.
The strength of your company is directly tied to the health and vitality of the company culture.
When you strengthen the culture, you strengthen the company.